Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp laid out the procedure that must be followed, according to Georgia law, during an appearance on The Al Gainey Show on WDUN NEWS TALK 550.
Kemp said Gov. Perdue will set the date for the election but as of noon Monday there had been no word from the governor's office.
"We can't really speculate on a certain date as of right now," Kemp said. He did say there are no provisions for Perdue to appoint a successor and that he has 10 days from the date of the resignation to set the date for a special election which must be held at least 30 days after the resignation.
Deal, a Republican, would have vacated the post Dec. 31, anyway, because of his decision to run for governor this year instead of re-election
Also, at his news conference at the Gainesville Civic Center, Deal said his decision to resign had nothing to do with an ethics investigation into his business dealings with the state between 2004 and 2008 through a company that he had an interest in. (See earlier story.)
His decision to resign apparently puts an end that that probe.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY REACT
Jane Kidd, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, said, â
Kemp said Gov. Perdue will set the date for the election but as of noon Monday there had been no word from the governor's office.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/3/227397